156 Gold Street
by Team Cullen Boys
Summary: The whole world was going through the Great Depression excluding the good people on Gold Street. The coming of age story for a young privileged Rosalie Hale who has deep infatuations with the older neighbor across the street. She goes unnoticed as he passes through young adulthood and it isn't until she catches up with him that she's finally caught his eye. One-shot. All Human.


**This is a little one shot that danced its way into my head before bed last night, enjoy!**

* * *

**1932**

It was 1932, and the rest of the world was trapped in the Great Depression. Everyone was crying, starving, and cold but I wasn't. It was as if nothing had changed for me. I lived on Gold Street and on Gold Street no one cried, no one went hungry, and no one was cold. Gold Street was like a separate world away from all the pain and desperation the rest of the world faced.

It was the happiest place on earth especially during the Great Depression. Life on Gold Street was so perfect I didn't even know there was a depression until I went out to pick up my Easter dress. Some might say the children on Gold Street were secluded from the rest of the world and in hindsight we were, we were spoiled rotten and idealistic. But that's how life was for us.

Our townhouse on Gold Street was marked 156 and every morning I woke up in a lace and pink bedroom stretched out and waited for my au pair to come and bring me a glass of fresh milk and help me get ready for the day. Her name was Jeanette and up until then day she was my best friend.

The day I met the Cullen's was a Tuesday and their moving people were bringing in their fancy furniture to the house across the street, 157 Gold Street.

That day Jean had put me in a plaid dress with petticoats. My white shoes were shining to perfection and my ringlet curls hung down my back, hair was my crowning glory. I was sitting in the kitchen with a glass of lemonade and a cookie watching the men.

"Mommy, what are those people doing?" I asked. I never knew people could move onto Gold Street. The same people have lived here ever since I was born.

"They are moving the Cullen's things inside sweetheart now hush I can't hear" she said tuning her ear into the radio, she was listening to one of her soaps I think this one was called "John's Other Wife" my mommy loved her soaps.

She wanted to be an actress, she was beautiful enough but she married my dad instead. At one point she wanted me to be an actress too, she wanted me to be a little kid star like Shirley Temple she'd always say "I don't know why everyone's running to see Shirley, they should be running to see you, your much cuter" even now with my front teeth missing.

But I hushed and continued on with my cookie and watched the men out the window. That's when I saw kids! I immediately ran to the door and planted my face on the window.

"Mommy look! They have kids!" I squealed. There were kids on Gold Street but they were mostly boys. All the girls had been sent away to something called finishing school. The only girl friend I had was Vera.

My mom came and hovered over me looking out the window.

"Well look at that" she muttered.

"And there is a girl!" I clapped when I saw the little raven haired girl come out of the house. She was small, teeny tiny small. Maybe she was too young for me to play with.

"At lunchtime we'll go over and welcome them to the neighborhood, Jean?" she called out, and Jean was in the kitchen in a hurry. "Can you get an apple pie going for the neighbors?"

I couldn't wait until lunchtime. To pass the time I read a book and bothered my brother for a little bit then I stuffed my lunch in my mouth ready to go.

"Can we go now? Please?" I begged after I finished my lunch.

"Go wash up, put a ribbon in your hair, and get your brother and then we'll leave" my mom smiled.

I did everything I was supposed to and then went into Jasper's room.

"Come on Jasper we're going to the neighbor's house" I told him, he was lying on his bed with his guitar in hand. He thought he was going to be a musician but daddy wouldn't hear of it.

"I don't want to go" he said.

"But they have kids and there's a girl" I jumped up and down but Jasper didn't get excited like I wanted him to. There were plenty of boys on Gold Street for him to play with.

"I don't want to play with a bunch of girls."

"Well mommy said you have to come" I fibbed. He sighed, put his guitar down and shooed me out of his room.

Before I knew it I was holding mommy's hand and walking with her across the street.

"Be sweet Rose" she whispered as she rang on the doorbell.

I nodded my head; I thought I was always sweet. A pretty woman answered the door, but she wasn't prettier than my mommy. Her hair looked like caramel candy and she reminded me of my teacher Ms. Lowe.

"Hi I'm Lillian Hale and I just wanted to welcome you to Gold Street," she smiled and offered the woman Jean's apple pie. I really wanted a slice. I loved sweet things. My daddy would always come home and bring me candy and mommy would get mad and say he was giving me cavities—I didn't know what that meant either.

"Thank you so much, I'm Esme Cullen, please come inside, you'll have to excuse the chaos" she welcomed us inside their home and it looked kind of like mine.

They talked for a bit and then finally my mommy introduced us.

"This is my son Jasper he's fourteen and this is Rosalie who's ten."

"What a coincidence I have a ten year old and a fourteen year old as well" she smiled and shook my hand. "They are upstairs, let me go and get them."

She came back a few minutes later with three kids, two boys and one girl.

The little girl's name was Alice and she was ten, she sure was a small ten year old. I am tall for my age, I am the tallest girl in my class but my golly she was shorter than Vera!

The other boys name was Edward and he was eleven, he kind of had silly hair and he kept looking at me funny.

The oldest boy was named Emmett and I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. He was the cutest boy on Gold Street; he was the cutest boy I had ever seen. He had curly brown hair and dimples!

I wasn't even worried about Alice being a new girl to play with I was only concerned with Emmett Cullen, the love of my 10 year old life.

…

"Mommy can I go and play with Alice?" I asked. It had been a month since the Cullen's had moved to Gold Street and Alice and I had become the best of friends.

"Yes, but be careful crossing the street" as soon as she said that I was out the door and racing across Gold Street to house number 157. My mom watched from the doorway to make sure I got across safely.

I rang on the doorbell and Esme answered.

"Can I come and play with Alice?" I asked huffing from the exertion of running.

"Sure darling, she's upstairs in her room" she said waving to my mother across the street from the doorway.

"Thank you Mrs. Cullen."

I walked up the stairs and turned left to get to Alice's room.

She was sitting on the floor with Edward playing with marbles.

"Hi Rose" she smiled and I went and sat in between her and Edward. "I was waiting for you to get here, look" she pulled out a new dollhouse and I gasped.

"That's so pretty! We get to play with it?" I asked.

"Yep, my daddy just got it for me. It's brand new I was waiting for you to get here so we could open it together. I have to go get Emmett he has to open it, I'm not allowed to play knives" she said and then whispered, "He has one in his pocket."

"I can go ask him" I offered jumping up.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah" I agreed on my way out her door. Emmett's room was two down from hers. I knocked lightly and heard him say "Come in"

"Hi Emmett" I immediately blushed when I saw him. He was so cute.

"Hey Rosie" he was the only one that called me that and it made me feel special.

"What are you doing?" I asked walking over to his desk and looking. He picked me up and sat me on his lap and it was the closest we had ever been. He liked me too! I knew it!

"Just working on some designs" he pointed to his paper that had a bunch of squares on it and eraser shavings.

"Are those buildings?" I asked.

"Yep, buildings of the future" he said and I really didn't know what he meant by that but I couldn't tell him that, I had to pretend I was a big girl. "What do you need kiddo?" he asked pulling one of my curls and watching it spring back in place.

Kiddo? I'm not a kid!

"Alice needs you open up her new dollhouse" I replied a little upset that he called me a kid.

* * *

**1934**

I looked out the window at the new Ford car across the street. It was for Emmett for his birthday, he had a driver's license now and his dad got him a car.

I went outside and found him polishing the vehicle.

"Hey Rosie" he waved and I came over to him.

"Cool car" I complimented.

"Thanks I think this is the best present I've ever gotten" he smiled and his cute dimples showed.

I opened the door and sat inside and asked "How do I look?"

"Like a princess in her carriage" he grinned and I melted. He called me a princess!

From the inside of the car I tuned the radio, on one station President Roosevelt was talking about something but I changed it and Judy Garland was singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' my favorite song, I sang along to it and I heard another voice.

"Hello Emmett" it was a deep raspy voice and adamantly feminine. I turned around in my seat and saw Kate from 152 Gold Street walking towards the car; she was one of the Denali sisters. Last I heard of her she had been in finishing school in London.

"Kate, how are you?"

"Good happy to be home though, I missed my sisters" she smiled. She was pretty, and not in a girly way like me but in a womanly way. Is that what happens when you go to finishing school? You come back a woman? She probably wore garter belts and her legs and a corset. She had boobs, I didn't have boobs yet. Vera did and she thought they were the coolest things. My mom said I would get some one day. I wish that one day would come very soon.

"Well since your home, you should have a proper homecoming. Let me take you to a movie" he offered and my eyes bulged out of my head. I wondered if he'd let me come with him.

"You don't have to do that" she said.

"Oh no, I'd love to."

"Okay, let me just go and tell my parents and get my purse" she hurried off and I got out of the car.

"Can I come Emmett?" I asked with wide eyes.

"Not this time Rosie."

"Please?" I begged. "I'll be really good I promise, I can even get my own money, please?" I had money from my parents saved up in my closet and movie tickets were only a quarter.

"Next time," he said pulling at one of my curls like he always did.

Kate came bouncing back down the street in her high heeled slippers. They made this clickity-clack sound that could be really annoying.

"Who's this?" she asked looking down at me.

"My friend Rose, Rose this Kate" he introduced us and she was much prettier in person.

"How do you do Miss. Kate?"

"Well aren't you a proper little cutie, how do you do Miss. Rose" she shook my hand.

"Rose was just about to make her way home, weren't you Rosie?"

"Yeah" I nodded sadly. "It was nice to meet you Miss. Kate" I said and turned on my heels back to 156 Gold Street.

* * *

**1935**

"Did you hear the new episode of The Shadow?" Edward asked on our walk home from school. Alice had a dentist appointment, she liked sweets too and she got one of those things called a cavity that mommy was always talking about. I thought they were just made to scare me but nope, they were real.

"No I missed it I had to go to a ballet class" I told him.

"Oh—"

Edward was weird. He was my best boy friend but he was weird. All the girls in my class liked him even though I told them how weird he was. He didn't play sports like his brother and never played with other boys, he only hung out with me.

Mommy said it was because he had a little crush on me but I didn't believe her, he was just my friend.

"Is Emmett home?" I asked suddenly as we got closer to Gold Street.

"Why are you so worried about him all the time?" Edward asked back with a frustrated expression as he shifted with both my books and his books in his hands.

"Because I have to invite him to my birthday party next week, I'm turning thirteen!" I smiled I was going to invite him and then I was going to kiss him. It would be my first kiss and there is no one else I'd rather kiss than him.

"You didn't invite me to your birthday party" he grumbled.

"Silly you already knew you were invited, is he home?" I asked.

"I don't know, he might have football practice."

"Oh well can I come over and see anyways?" I questioned.

"Why not… Hey can you get my key out of my pocket?" he inquired with our books in his hand.

"Which one?"

"The right."

I put my small hand in his deep pocket and accidentally came in contact with something I shouldn't have, and it wasn't his key.

"I—I—I—I'm sorry" I stuttered immediately retracting my hand from that wretched pocket and blushing a scarlet red.

"No it's my fault. It's in my left pocket."

This time I found the key and unlocked the door immediately. To avoid any further embarrassment with Edward I went upstairs but before I could get there Edward grabbed my hand.

"What?"

"How do you think of me?" he asked.

"You're my best friend" I told him ready to go see Emmett.

Edward closed his eyes and I wondered what the heck he was doing, his lips were puckered and before I could stop him they touched mine! It was the grossest thing in the world. His lips were all wet and nasty and pasted like old candy!

"Edward!" I shouted shoving him hard until he fell on the ground.

"How do you think of me now?" he questioned.

"I think that we're not even friends anymore! You stole my first kiss! It was meant for Emmett!" I said with arms crossed against my chest.

"I thought you'd like me if I kissed you" he sighed.

"Obviously not, my heart belongs to Emmett and my lips too. Don't ever kiss me again or—or—or I'm going to tell your mom" I sassed him and walked away down the hall to Emmett's room.

"Rose!" he shouted and then I realized I probably should have knocked first. He was with another girl! The girl in fact was Vera's older sister Darla. Her suit was all twisted and her hair all mussed. What was he doing to her? Squishing her?

I turned red for the second time today.

"Rosalie darling how are you?" Darla asked adjusting her dress.

"Fine, thank you" I nodded my head.

"Rose what do you want?" he asked seemingly mad, he ran his fingers through his curly brown hair. And I was a little surprised he didn't call me Rosie, he always called me Rosie.

"Um—I just wanted to invite you to my birthday party next week, I'm turning thirteen" I said pulling out an invitation from my coat pocket. I had handed them out to all the girls at school today and Emmett an Edward were the only boys that were invited.

"Thanks Rose" he took it and put it on his desk.

"I didn't know you were turning thirteen Rosalie, I remember when your mom brought you home from the hospital" Darla smiled. I always thought she was a nice girl until now. When I was at Vera's house we would dress up in her suits and evening gowns and act like proper young ladies and she wouldn't even get mad. I had always wanted an older sister like Darla. Not anymore obviously.

Was she Emmett's girlfriend? I thought I was his girlfriend… sort of. Jasper had a girlfriend and her name was Maria and I hated her.

"You can come if you want to Miss. Darla" I offered just to be nice. I really didn't want her coming to my birthday party.

"Well thank you dear" she smiled and I just stood there staring at them wondering how he could be so cruel.

"Is there anything else you need?" he asked and I could feel the tears forming in my eyes.

I shook my head no and walked out closing the door behind me but not before I heard Darla say, "My goodness that was awkward."

"Don't worry about her, she's just a kid."

"You don't think she'd tell anyone do you?"

"Of course not."

I ran home crying that day and when my mother asked what was wrong I told her my heart was broken.

"Oh honey how is your heart broken was it Edward?" she asked smoothing my long blonde hair.

"No mom Edward isn't even my friend anymore I'm mad at him _and_ he's gross, I'm talking about Emmett" I told her and continued crying in her chest. We were in my room on my bed and I was sitting in her lap like a little baby. But Emmett already thought I was a baby so why not act like one?

My mom laughed lightly. "Emmett? Jasper's friend?"

I nodded yes.

"Isn't he a little too old for you right now sweetie?"

"No he's only seventeen and I'm going to be thirteen soon, he was supposed to like me! But I saw him with Darla!" I said in between sobs.

"Darla's more his age and he is going to college in two weeks dear" she said softly.

"I hate Darla, I hate her so much" I wailed.

"Don't say that Rose, Darla is a nice girl. But you have to understand Emmett is almost an adult now, he's nearly a man and if he wants to date Darla that's his choice" why wasn't she on my side? "You should look at boys more your age, like Edward. He's cute."

"Edward is not cute mom, he's gross!"

"Well Emmett is only your first crush there will be many more darling, you're so pretty boys will be lining up at the door to date you and daddy with have to chase them all away" she laughed.

She then wrapped me up and let me cry. She let me cry until my eyes were dry.

"Now that you feel better would you like some cake?"

I shook my head no.

"Why on earth not? Is something wrong are you sick?" she put her hand to my forehead. "You've never turned down cake before."

"I can't have sweets anymore" I told her firmly now. "I have to keep my figure" I said as I'd often heard some of the big girls say.

"You don't have to worry about your figure your only twelve" she said.

"Yes I do, I have to start early. And mother, I don't want a Viewmaster for my birthday anymore."

"Well what do you want?"

"I want a suit like the big girls wear, I hate petticoats, and I want high heeled shoes, and—and I want to cut my hair."

My mother gasped at the last declaration. My hair was my signature it was long and curly and blonde. I was known all over Gold Street for my golden hair. But none of the big girls had long hair. They all had short hair with finger waves and I wanted to look just like that.

…

My thirteenth birthday was the worst birthday of my life. Emmett didn't come and I didn't get a suit or high heels. I was hoping he'd come and give a kiss as a present but instead I got a stupid Viewmaster and dumb doll. I am too old to play with dolls, didn't my parents understand that?

I pulled on my nightgown after an uneventful 13th birthday party and climbed into bed with Alice and Vera, they were sleeping over tonight as celebration. We got to stay up a whole extra hour and ate ice cream late at night.

"Sorry he didn't come" Alice apologized as she all laid there in my big bed. "He can be really mean sometimes."

"It's not your fault."

"And I'm sorry Darla was kissing him" Vera apologized as well.

"It's not your fault either" I yawned and closed my eyes.

* * *

**1940**

I had completed finishing school the previous summer and I was back in Chicago on Gold Street. The Great Depression was over, which didn't matter much to me because it never affected me in the first place. I was 18 now and I finally had those boobs I've always wanted.

It was Christmas Eve and my boyfriend Royce and I were walking from the Christmas Ball that Gold Street hosts every year. I remember the first one I went to when I was 16, Edward had asked me and I couldn't say reject him not matter how much I wanted to because he looked so sweet and nervous when he asked. I remember I wore a crimson red dress with a black sash and Edward looked so dapper in his tuxedo. As soon as we got there my dance card was filled up but Edward wouldn't let anyone cut in.

That time two years ago was a lot more fun with him than this time was with Royce. He was drunk beyond belief and I was more so taking him home rather than him taking me home.

"Did you know your beautiful Rose?" he slurred with liquor leaking from his breath.

"Yes, thank you."

"How about we go back to 159?" he asked. He lived on 159 and I didn't want to go there with him, at least not tonight.

"No thank you Royce, you reek of alcohol" I said pushing away his advances and from across the street I saw Emmett standing outside with a cigarette.

I hadn't seen him before I left for finishing school two years ago; back then I still didn't have boobs. I knew he was home from college but I had been avoiding going to the Cullen's and asked Alice and Edward if they would come over to my house instead. It was pitch black outside right now and I could barely make his face out from the street lamps but I knew it was him. I could tell by his body. No one had a build like Emmett Cullen.

While I was at finishing school I had convinced myself that I didn't care about Emmett, it was just a schoolgirl crush that would pass when I really fell in love. But it didn't pass. Looking at him now I had butterflies. I don't know if he noticed me or saw me but I saw him and I knew this was more than a schoolgirl crush.

I mean here I am, Rosalie Hale the prettiest girl on Gold Street with the richest heir in Chicago by my side and my heart still longed for Emmett, a plain old college kid with aspirations to make buildings of the future as he so nicely phrased it long ago.

"Okay then we can do it here" I heard Royce say. I pulled my eyes from Emmett and looked into Royce's black ones.

"Pardon me?"

"You're such a tease Rose" he murmured in my ear.

"Royce, stop this. We can talk when you're sober" I pushed him away physically this time.

"You're wearing much too many clothes" he pushed me against the brick wall of house 153 and started to unbutton my overcoat.

"Royce!" I shouted. "Stop it!"

His hand collided with my face, crushing my head against the brick. My vision spun and blurred and I saw about three Royce King's standing in front of me.

"Shhhh, it'll be quick beautiful" he kissed me roughly and all I could taste was liquor, hard liquor. If I went home like this my mom would surely kill me, she said ladies don't drink hard liquor.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Stop it, now!" I just screamed at the top of my lungs which would have probably awoken all of Gold Street if they weren't still at the Ball.

His hand was at neck choking me and I couldn't breathe.

"Stop!" I tried to shout my voice was only whisper now and he wore a twisted, wicked grin. I am going to die. Before I say my final prayer my throat opened up and Royce fell to the ground.

I looked around and saw Emmett cradling his fist which I guess had just collided with Royce's face.

"Go! Before I impound your face" he warned and Royce spurted blood out of his mouth and stumbled away. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Uh—yes, I'm fine" I said clutching my throat.

"Do you know that man?" he asked.

"Yes, that was my boyfriend" I told him.

"Oh I'm sorry. I thought he was hurting you" he apologized.

"He was, I guess he's not my boyfriend anymore. Thank you."

He just ignored my acknowledgment and said, "Where do you live? I'll take you home."

"156 Gold Street."

"156?" he asked and pondered the thought for a second, recognition hit him like a baseball. "Rosie? Little Rosie Hale?"

"That's me, well I'm not so little anymore but—I'm the same Rosie Hale" no one had called me that in years.

He smiled and pulled close in the tightest bear hug possible. After coming face to face with danger being in his arms was a welcomed comfort that made me feel safe again.

"Your beautiful" he said and I don't think he realized he said that out loud.

"Thank you, it's about time you noticed" I grinned.

"It's my fault I've been blind for the last eight years" he laughed pulling one of my curls again like he used to do when I was a kid.. "I guess always saw you as Alice and Edwards little friend I couldn't truly appreciate your beauty."

"Well they do say patience is a virtue" I taunted.

"A virtue I clearly don't possess" he shook his head.

There I took the biggest, bravest step of my life and kissed him softly.

"What was that for?" he asked touching his lips.

"For saving a princess from her dragon, thank you Emmett" and with that I walked away back to 156 Gold Street.

* * *

**A little fluffy... I know I just couldn't get this story out of my head. But for those of you that read In 12 Years this little one shot is the reason for the delayed update but don't worry I should get it up tomorrow.**

**As always review and thanks for reading!**


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